Midlifing cover art

Midlifing

Midlifing

By: Lee Miller and Simon Ellis
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About this listen

Two friends Lee and Simon have serious conversations about silly things, and silly conversations about serious things. Together they dig into the pleasures, absurdities and imperfections of being human.

© 2026 Midlifing
Social Sciences
Episodes
  • 272: Deal with the stink of shit, we don’t want to upset the sparrows
    Feb 18 2026

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    Simon and Lee discuss how “the slop” of online discourse warps attention, community, and even basic ways of being with other people, then land on the uneasy idea that conversation can be as much a mirror (to feel real and worthy) as a window (to actually learn and connect). A second thread is the double-truth of social life: feeling useful and coherent while simultaneously hearing the inner heckler saying “you’re a fraud,” and how that vulnerability can push people toward bubbles that reassure them.

    Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.

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    The Midlifing logo is adapted from an original image by H.L.I.T: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29311691@N05/8571921679 (CC BY 2.0)

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    27 mins
  • 271: Nine Minutes of Tai Chi a Day
    Feb 11 2026

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    Lee and Simon talk about ageing, visibility and bodily maintenance, moving from Tai Chi scams and ripped male bodies to the uneven cultural tolerance of ageing faces, especially women’s. The thread tightens around choosing how to age – attitude over appearance – while catching themselves mid-slide into weather-moaning, grammar-policing crotchetiness.

    Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.

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    The Midlifing logo is adapted from an original image by H.L.I.T: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29311691@N05/8571921679 (CC BY 2.0)

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    24 mins
  • 270: I Don’t Think There Are Appropriate Modes of Behaviour in WhatsApp
    Feb 4 2026

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    Simon and Lee reflect on how “it’s just history” can function as a shield, contrasting nostalgia and certainty with the messier ethics of speaking up, particularly around homophobia and memory. The episode widens this to a mistrust of technological truth-claims, arguing for caution, empathy and interrogation over easy laughter or false neutrality.

    Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.

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    The Midlifing logo is adapted from an original image by H.L.I.T: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29311691@N05/8571921679 (CC BY 2.0)

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    26 mins
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